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War — What is it Good for?

There is 60 years gap between the current Iraq war and Japan’s defeat in World War II; however, not much has changed. History, fortunately, repeats itself.

The Japanese, unlike the Koreans, did not have to suffer the ill-fate of a divided nation (a plan considered between the US and the former Soviet Union; a plan which never materialized).

Americans, without a doubt, had her vested interest in getting Japan back on its feet. Japan is a strategic location for the United States to exercise her influence throughout the Far East and South East Asia.

The Japanese, however, to this day view the Americans as benevolent liberators. The Japanese show great interest and hold considerably favorable views toward the Americans (83 percent of the Japanese follow the U.S. political events as opposed to 80 percent of Americans [CNN 6/17]).

My mother was six when the war ended. To this day, she remembers the face of the soldier who gave her a piece of chocolate. Sweetness that spread throughout mother’s mouth, if only for a brief moment, gave the little girl the much needed escape from the misery and ashes of her surroundings.

Sixty-three years later, mother vividly recalls the soldier’s smile.

Prewar Japan was a totalitarian government, ruled by a few (sounds like Iraq). Japan was reduced to ashes, infrastructure included (sound familiar?). Hard to believe, but it’s true.

The Japanese are forever grateful to the United States for the gift of democracy and the capitalist economy (today’s prosperity is unthinkable without U.S. intervention).

Japan turned her back on the totalitarian state. With U.S. leadership, guidance, and hard work and sacrifices of my parents’ generation, in 1964 (just 19 years later), hosted the 18th Summer Olympic. In less than two decades, the country joined the ranks of the developed nations.

I see many similarities between 1945 Japan and today’s war-torn Iraq; notably, a former totalitarian nation reduced to ashes; a nation, with American leadership, making relentless attempts to prosper.

Never say never.

An unknown senator from Illinois was not supposed to beat the Washington insider from New York — but he did. Barack Obama is our democratic presidential nominee. Anything’s possible. Truth is stranger than fiction.

America helped Japan get back on her feet. Now she is extending her hand to Iraq.